GFOA of the US & Canada

Fiscal First Aid Case Studies

The GFOA is looking for local governments to participate in detailed case studies about responses to fiscal distress. Our objective is to learn how cities have dealt with distress and incorporate this knowledge into our publications, trainings, and Web site. On this page you can....

• Learn more about what a case study involves
• See what others have to say about participating in GFOA research
• Take our survey as a first step to becoming a case study

Take the Survey

 
What a Case Study Involves
GFOA will select a limited of number of local governments for in-depth case studies. For these case studies the GFOA will review salient internal documents, administer surveys, interview relevant stakeholders (internal and external), and review external accounts (i.e., newspaper stories) about the situation. The case study government will be asked to supply internal documents and participate in interviews. Most interviews will be conducted by phone, though we may also conduct an on-site visit as well. The case study government will also be asked to review publications using the results of our research to verify accuracy and acceptability. The GFOA takes great care to make sure that the cases study process is a positive one for all involved including: flexible interview scheduling, written questions provided in advance, providing advance copies of publications for review and approval, and attribution of credit to participants in our publications.
 
Besides the detailed case studies, the GFOA will conduct less in-depth research with the remaining volunteers, including brief surveys and/or interviews.
 
What Others Say about Participating in GFOA Research
These case studies will be similar in many ways to those conducted for the book Financing the Future: Long-Term Financial Planning for Local Government. Here is what some of those who participated in that research have to say:
 

"Participating in GFOA research has benefited the city by encouraging us to take a closer look at our own practices and stimulating discussion of new ideas. GFOA researchers were easy to work with, were very respectful of our time, and were cognizant of potential citizen perception of the publications that resulted from research with the city. I have also enjoyed the opportunity the GFOA research projects have afforded me to contribute to the practice of public finance, including writing for the GFOA magazine, Government Finance Review, and speaking at training seminars. Because of my consistently positive experiences and because of the good it does for the profession, I have participated in a number of GFOA projects and can recommend that others consider the same."

 

  -- Pall Gudgeirsson, City of San Clemente